RUSTON, La. – A three-run bomb from junior Amye Barre and four scoreless innings from freshman pitcher Paige Porter propelled ULM to its eighth-straight opening day victory as the Warhawks topped Louisiana Tech 9 to 5 at the Lady Techster Complex.
ULM's offense proved lethal with nine runs off 11 hits. Barre led the charge with three RBI and redshirt senior Miyuki Navarrete picked up where she left off in 2014 with two doubles, two RBI and swiping her first bag of the season.
Porter began her first collegiate start with a strikeout and cruised to her first career victory. The freshman went 4.2 innings, allowing only two runs off five hits with three strikeouts.
ULM got on the board early in the first starting with an infield single from sophomore Rochelle Roberts. After swiping second to put ULM in scoring position and advancing to third off a groundout from Barre, Roberts would go on to score off a wild pitch from Louisiana Tech's Bianca Duran.
The Warhawks took a 2-0 advantage in the top of second after freshman Cheyanne Lyon reached on a fielder's choice and scored from first on a double down the left field line from sophomore Sidney Coy.
A three-hit fourth inning opened the game for the Warhawks with Navarrete notching her first hit of the season with a two-RBI double to left center field to put ULM up 4-0.
ULM manufactured its fifth run on three-straight, two-out singles from senior Molly Mackey, junior Faith Bohack and Lyon in the top of the fifth.
After giving up a first- inning single and walk, the ULM defense retired eight straight batters with freshman Paige Porter dealing four shutout innings.
Louisiana Tech ended the shutout in the fifth with a two-RBI single from junior Anna Cross to cut ULM's lead to 5-2, but the Warhawks quickly answered in the sixth with a three-run homer to left off the bat of Barre (8-2).
Bohack provided the final Warhawk run with a solo homerun in the seventh to put ULM up by seven (9-2).
The Lady Techsters would put three across in the seventh, including a homer from junior Katelynn Cook, but the rally would fall short and secure the ULM victory.
The Warhawks will play a doubleheader in day two of the Lady Techster Invitational facing Missouri State at 4:15 p.m. and Arkansas Pine Bluff at 6:30 p.m.
For the latest on ULM softball, visit ULMWarhawks.com and follow the team on Twitter (@ULM_Softball) and Facebook (facebook.com/ULMSoftball).
